Kilili optimistic on CHCC’s future plans

“I am very optimistic about the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s future plans for the CNMI,” Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan told CHCC executives and partners at the Lao Lao Bay Golf Resort in Kagman on Wednesday.

Sablan said he’s been glad to help address issues with the Commonwealth Health Center and has been conferring with agencies and CHCC as well on how to further improve the hospital’s services.

Sablan told CHCC officials he is rooting for them and hopes they will pick things back up and continue providing public health services to the CNMI.

Dr. Sharleen Osman, director for Medical Affairs for CHCC, said she is happy that Sablan has been responding to the hospital’s cry for funding.

This was echoed by CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña, chief financial officer Jack Taitague, and hospital administrator Jess Tudela, who also expressed gratitude to Sablan for helping secure the $50,000 grant that the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development presented to CHCC on Wednesday.

“The hospital does have other larger grant applications with USDA and the CNMI was able to open up and establish and nurture our partnership with USDA and the USDA has been very responsive in what they can do for the CNMI,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune after the grant presentation.

Sablan also expressed confidence in the ability of CHC to obtain recertification from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

“They are addressing that problem but it’s something that the CHCC management has to do and not get involved with the politicians. They are more than capable of doing that and they can, so that we could get out of this unfortunate situation of being partly at risk,” Sablan said.

“I know they are getting there and we are very grateful to the U.S Department of the Interior for providing help to CHCC and now USDA is helping out CHCC with hospital beds,” he added.

Interior funded the trip of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to the CNMI last year to help with the recertification for CHC.

CMS extended CHCC’s recertification until Nov. 14.

Right now, CHCC officials and managers are reviewing future plans on how to further improve hospital services.

“We are planning and finding ways to better our hospital so we can continue to provide for the community on our services for years to come,” Muña said.